Tompkins and Laura Mulvey believe that “Western’s primary function is to offer its viewers definitions of masculinity” As one of the top ten commercially appealing film stars, and Westerns most recognizable actor, John Wayne and the characters he portrays are the embodiment of masculinity. It becomes ironic than, as the ideal ‘man’ he is seen as an lonely individual without regard for the law, solely relying on the harsh vast landscape that is in front of him, rather than much of a ‘family’ man who is present to protect and support his wife and children. Wayne’s characters transcend the movies they are in because they connect to the audience in a heavily emotional manner. People can and want to relate to the alpha male who not only struggles from personal strife, as Wayne does in Monument Valley in The Searchers, but carries on through the wild physically challenging landscape and in the end, wins/saves the day and rides off into the sunset. While the main characters may traverse across lawless, unforgiving “Indian territory” the protagonists still remain largely clean. In The Big Trail, Wayne’s outfit begins nearly perfectly white. While it does become dirtier over time, he remains to hold an heir of cleanliness that also demonstrates how, good, whole-hearted and honest the protagonist acts. Different clothing styles make certain statements about the character. A business suit, or similar likeliness, is out of place on the dusty frontier and suggests the character doesn’t belong. The other extreme is Indian clothing, comprised of animal skins and furs. These produce a different, animalistic theme, but can also exert the appearance of an alpha-male. Scar is Wayne’s counterpoint in The Searchers, and his attire matches his importance.
In a post-war period, the use of film noir helped depict the times cynical attitudes. Many of Wayne’s Westerns were centered around “violation, betrayal and social breakdown.” The lawlessness and moral wilderness act as a metaphor for the emotional state of not only the main character, but America as a whole during this post war period.
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